Birthday Wishes & Coconuts

We celebrated George's birthday on Sunday and it was a spectacular day.  We got him a few gifts but I think his favorite was his new guitar pick. 

After breakfast, birthday gifts & cheers we headed straight to the beach.  The weather was gorgeous.  The best part of being on St. John off season is that the weather is great with very few people on island to share it with.  Almost as if we had the beach all to ourselves.  

Back on island

Back from a long hiatus and a much needed restful vacation.  It's the first vacation George & I have taken without the baby and it was ohh so needed.  I feel absolutely recharged & energized!  We all did great.  Milan at mama & papa's house (a.k.a grandma & grandpa) in South Florida, while George & I ventured on an Alaskan cruise by way of Seattle.  

Everyone always asks where we vacation, and the answer is usually a big city or another island but this time we heard the call of Alaska.  So invigorating to change the scenery & do something different.  Like our tiny little island, Alaska's inner passage is just so naturally beautiful & unspoiled.   But the bears, glaciers & 40-60 degree summer temperatures where a welcomed change.  Definitely one of our best trips.  Here are a few highlights...

Breathtaking views from a floatplane in Ketchikan

Bee Hive Relocation

Spring is here and the bees are swarming on St. John.  So much so that a swarm decided to make our outdoor shower their new home!  Last week I noticed buzzing around our newly installed wall sconces.  Since the fixtures were original to the house, repurposed for the outdoor shower, I assumed the buzzing was due to wiring and figured I'd get the electricians to take a look at the sconces again.  The next day George looked up and there they were!  

Hello Again!

Wow, I didn’t realize how long it had been since my last post! I’ve been wanting to start blogging again for quite a while now, but I’d developed a case of writer’s block. What to write about and how to get started again after such a long break eluded me. So let’s just catch up and get reacquainted, ok?

HoneyJito, just in time for St. Patty's Day!

Here's my Caribbean take on green beer and Irish whiskey, a Honey Mojito or what I call a HoneyJito.

I-sland Candy

I know it's shameless to post pictures of a beautiful tropical island when most of the country is covered in snow and ice, so I apologize in advance to those living above latitude 18!

But honestly, who doesn't have visions of warm tropical islands in the dead of winter, right? And if you're lucky enough to live on St. John, well it's just nice to be reminded of how wonderful it is to live on island!

Truth be told, it's a busy week for me! I'm in the print studio printing fabric and have an impending article deadline for the St. John Suntimes. Beautiful island pictures were an easy way out ;-)

Enjoy the i-sland candy and think warm thoughts.

CC

All the Leaves are Brown

Well not quite, there are more like a harvest yellow!

Here's a picture of the Turpentine (a.k.a. Gumbo Limbo) tree which sits prominently in the center of our deck. George and I designed the house around this one tree! Throughout the summer months its vibrant green leaves are a shady refuge from the afternoon heat, and provide an oasis for the bananaquit and hummingbirds that frequent our bird feeders. During the winter months, when the weather turns a brisk 75-85 degrees, its leaves become a vibrant golden yellow reminiscent of ripen starfruit.

This color has inspired a golden yellow shade for my handprinted fabric. Here's a swatch of my new color. I need some help naming it though, and would LOVE SUGGESTION. If you are so inclined, please email me or leave a comment with your ideas. Thanks in advance for your help!

I will be in the print studio all of next week printing yards and yards of fabric. I can't wait! As a result you may not hear much about island living next week, but I promise to return as soon as possible with sneak previews of the new patterns!

BTW, you might have noticed the new badge on the blog. Caribbean Chic Living is now a proud member of the Friends of Martha Stewart Blog Network. Check out the link and some of the other great blogs in the network!

Warm Wishes,

CC

The Winter Olympics & The Cinnamon Bay Hiking Trail

The start of the Winter Olympics has got me missing cold winters this week.   Luckily it's simply a fleeting thought, as I think about all the snow that's fallen on the US and Canada recently.  We might not have gotten our share of fallen white snow, but certainly have gotten our share of beautiful yellow fallen leaves caused by our 75 degree winter temperature.  And although I didn't get a chance to go cross-country sking this weekend, I did manage to go on a beautiful island hike!


My favorite time of day for a hike is early morning well before 9 AM!  It's still cool out, the trails are quite, there are loads of birds and animals to observe, and most of the time I'll have a trail all to myself!  St. John is filled with wonderful hiking trails as two-thirds of the island is protected by the Virgin Islands National Park.  Here is a picture from a vantage point on the Cinnamon Bay Trail.

The Cinnamon Bay Trail starts off of North Shore Road, across from the Cinnamon Bay camp ground and ascends to Centerline Road, at the island's center.  The trail is 1.1 miles each way and a solid exercise hike.  Unlike many of our trails, this trail ascends rather then descends first.  The trail is lined with fragrant bay rum and cinnamon and includes a detour to visit ruins.  Here are a few things I found particularly inspiring on this hike.  I can see these becoming fabric patterns or colors in the near future.


Warm Wishes,
CC

Beekeeping in the Virgin Islands

Last week I graduated from beekeeping class. It was a very proud moment! The class was a 12-week pilot program sponsored by the V.I. Department of Agriculture on all three Virgin Islands. Here's a picture of me at the graduation ceremony on St. Thomas.

I confess my initial motivation was the honey. I love honey! I cook with it, bake with it, and use it often. But once I started learning about bees that quickly changed. We take a holistic approach to beekeeping on St. John. We're not honey hunters here! It's all about the bees, caring for them and ensuring their well being. The honey comes later. 

St. John graduated 24 beekeepers in this class. Here's a picture of the class after visiting our classmate's hives. Thanks Mark & Mark! Picture is courtesy of photographer and fellow classmate Kathryn Wagner.

Beekeeping unites people from all walks of life.  The group is composed of a chef, a midwife, a musician, a hairdresser, energy healers, photographers, landscapers, carpenters, and a designer of course.  Just to name a few.  It's an eclectic bunch here on St. John. 

Some of my classmates have already started hives.  I am patiently waiting to start my own.  Starting a hive is quite different here.  First off we work with Africanized bees not the Italian variety popular stateside.  It's the species we have in the Virgin Islands, and importing honey bees is certainly frowned upon as our local variety is plentiful and healthy.

A hive is started by either rescuing a wild hive or catching and attracting a swarm through the use of pheromones and a swarm trap.  The later being less work but more difficult to find and catch.  In contrast, rescuing hives can be a labor intensive yet rewarding endeavor.  It involves going out to a location where someone wants to remove an unwanted hive.  This picture is from a recent rescue and removal effort, the hive was in between the floor and ceiling in a home on Gifft Hill.

It's funny, I had a natural and normal fear of bees when I started the program.  That fear has turned into respect and today I am much more confidant and at ease when working with hives.  We learn that our state of mind certainly affects the bees.  Calm beekeeper = Calm bees. Hmm, I think this will become my new personal mantra! But I'm never lax about it, wear protective gear and spent a lot of time in class learning when and how to properly approach and handle bees to avoid attacks.


I never thought beekeeping would be something I would ever do, but once I started to learn about bees it became positively addictive!  Although some of my classmates have plans to develop bee businesses, my goals are modest.  A strong, healthy hive, and just maybe a little honey for me and my friends :-)


More of beekeeping in the Virgin Islands soon!
CC

A day at the Beach, Honeymoon

Pictures from a recent afternoon on Honeymoon beach with my husband, George.  It was an exceptional day!  Weather was cool, water was clear, and the beach was uncluttered!

It's hard to believe it was a Saturday afternoon at the height of tourist season!  It's one of our favorite beaches on St. John this time of year, since it's one of the places that gets the latest sun on the island. 


Honeymoon is accessible through Caneel Bay Resort or a short hike down the Lind Point Trail.  I love taking the Lind Point Trail!  It's a peaceful 10-15 minute hike under a shady canopy to Honeymoon beach.  The hike just makes the beach feel so much more rewarding.  Since we've had so much rain this season, everything is still green and lush on the trail.   

I usually find lots of inspiration and ideas for fabric colors and patterns at the beach.  But today was just all about R&R, the water and looking at Lovango and St. Thomas in the distance.

CC   

Morning Coffee

I do my best thinking in the morning over coffee, and I LOVE exceptionally good coffee. I dream about it and look forward to it when I open my eyes! Unfortunately it is a very difficult thing to find on St. John! Luckily Peet's Coffee ships to the Virgin Islands so I never have to do without a good cup. I got hooked on Peet's years ago when I lived in San Francisco, not only is the coffee amazing but the company is social responsible and supports many villages and communities around the world. My favorites are Arabian Mocha-Java, Major Dickason's Blend, and Sumatra- full body and smooth liveliness. PERFECTION in a cup! But what makes morning coffee even better for me is drinking from an elegant coffee cup. Taking the time to sip and savor every flavor from china or porcelain versus taking quick gulps from one of my jumbo utilitarian mugs. Of course it doesn't happen every morning, but when it does there is just something so decadent about this simple pleasure. I have a small collection of beautiful coffee and tea cups just for this reason, they remind me to relax and be present and in the moment. After all that's why I moved to an island, to take it all in and slow it all down.

None of my cups match, some are expensive and some are not, but then that's what keeps the collection grounded and interesting. The one in the picture isn't one of my prettiest but is one of my favorites. It has lots of sentimental value because it was given to me over 15 years ago by a dear colleague and mentor. It has a few nicks and chips but I see those as signs of being put to good use! The picture is from my deck yesterday in the early morning. You can see St. John just beginning to waking up, the car ferry, and St. Thomas in the far distance. It turned out to be a beautiful day. CC